Improvement in gun-locks



T. DUNCAN;

Gun-Look.

No. 215,590. Patented May 20,1819.

' ITNESSES AIN'VENYTOR ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS DUNCAN, OF WEST NEW ANNAN, NOVA BOOTIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUN-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,590, dated May 20, 1879; application filed November 19, 1878.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DUNCAN, of West New Annan, in the county of Oolchester and Province of Nova Scotia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire- Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates specifically to improvements in the construction and operation offire-arm locks, the object whereof is to prevent the piece from being accidentally discharged by the hammers beingraised and released suddenly by contact with an object.

It consists of a stop pivoted under the end of the mainspring close to the swivel, and controlled by the trigger and a spring, whereby the hammer, after being raised to a quarter-cock to take it off the cap, is prevented from being raised farther until released from the control of the stop by the trigger, and thus it is impossible for the hammer to be raised unintentionally so far as in falling to pass over the quarter-cock notch, and thus accidentally discharge the piece.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fire-arm lock provided with my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a top view or plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A is the lockingplate. B is the hammer. O is the tumbler. D is the bridle. E is the mainspring. F is the swivel. G is the sear; a, the sear-spring, and H is the trigger, all of which are arranged and operated in the usual well-known manner.

Between a projection, b, of the bridle, just above the sear-screw, and the locking-plate is pivoted one end of a stop, I, by a screw-pivot, 0, called the stop'pivot.

The other end of the stop is pivoted to one end of a horizontal rod, d, the other end whereof is joined to the upper end of the rocking lever e, fulcrumed at its center on the searspring screw f, which likewise secures it to its place. i

The lower end of therock-lever 6 has an arm, g, similar to that on the sear, which is governed by a finger, h, on the trigger, so that by pulling the latter the lever is thrown back, as shown by the dotted lines, carrying with it the rod 01, and through the latter turning back the stop I.

The sear-spring has a prong or tine, forming a spring, 2', the end whereof rests under a projection, is, on the side of stop I, and serves to throw the stop into an upright position after being released from the control of the trigger.

The operation of my invention is as follows: On'the tumbler are three notches, the first one of which, a, is the quarter cock notch, for enabling the hammer to be secured off the cap on the nipple, and thus prevent the piece from being discharged by a blow on the hammer. The hammer can be raised so as to have the sear engage this notch without interference from the stop; but beyond this point it cannot be raised without pulling the trigger, as the free end of the mainspring, coming in contact with the upper end of the stop when in an upright position, will not allow the hammer to be drawn back, so that the tumbler will engage either the half or whole cock notches, and thus if anything strikes the hammer andthrows it back, in falling it will be caught by notch a and prevented from coming in contact with the cap.

When, however, it is desired to lift the hammer to half or full cook, the trigger is pulled back, the finger h, bearing upon the projection g, turns the lever e, and this, through the rod d, draws the pivoted stop I backward, so that it no longer opposes the mainspring, and thus the hammer can be drawn back as far as desired. As soon, however, as the hammer falls, the spring i, acting on projection 70, throws the stop into an upright position again, and it is prevented from going forward beyond an upright position by a pin, 1, in the rear of lever 6, limiting its backward movement, and

with it the parts with which it is connected.

These movements are clearly indicated by the dotted lines in the drawings.

From this description it will be apparent that the accidental discharge of the piece by the hammer being thrown back and released is rendered impossible.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improvement in fire-arm locks, the pivoted stop I, controlled by spring z and trigger H, through lever e and connecting-rod d, in combination with the mainspring E and. hammer B, substantially as described.

2. As an improvement in fire-arm locks the pivoted stop I, for controlling the movement of the hammer, in combination with hammer B, tumbler C, with quarter-cock notch a, m ainspring E, connecting-rod d, lever 0, spring i, bearing against projection k, and trigger H,, with finger h, substantially as described.

THOMAS DUNCAN. Witnesses: B. F. PEARSON,

F. E. GOURLEY. 

